1. All these appeals are filed, under Section 378(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short 'Cr.P.C.') by the same complainant in four different prosecution cases for the offence punishable under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act,1881 (hereinafter referred for short as 'the N.I.Act' only) challenging the orders of acquittal recorded under Section 255(1) of the Cr.P.C., vide judgment dated 23.8.2006 of the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-IV, Kochi in the above cases.

2. As the appellant in all these cases is one and the same person and the subject matter, especially the facts, circumstances and the question of law involved are identical and the first respondent/accused in each case are though different persons, but as they are close relatives and as the imputation of allegations and the liability alleged against them are identical and connected and the impugned judgments deserve same treatment as the same are issued by the same court, these appeals were heard together and being disposed of by this common judgment.

This appeal is preferred by the complainant against the judgment dated 23.8.2006 in S.T.No.230 of 2004 of the Judicial First Class Magistra